High prices, average marina experience. Nice people there. Will be nicer once the construction is…read morecomplete.

This park was created when the Corps of Engineers dammed up the Des Moines River and created a…read moreflood control system. It's a man-made lake fed by a large river, so you need to be careful boating, especially after hard rains or storms. With the above in mind, it is an awesome place to rent a pontoon boat, go swimming, fishing or camping. The campground is really well maintained and has concrete pads with nice fire pits. Latitude 41 is a nice bar / grill atmosphere, and has almost anything you would want. If you want to take your kids fishing, I suggest driving all the way to the back of the marina on the SW side and fishing off of the docks. You will almost always find croppy and other small lake fish that are easy to catch with minnows or worms with a bobber. There are so many recreation opportunities here - our favorite is biking and the nature center.

This is a great park, situated around a small lake. There is a playground on the premises and a…read moreshelter. There are also modern toilet facilities. Clean. Well kept. Family friendly. Plenty of parking. Great walk around the lake. Good for dog walking. Marcydiner tantrum scale of 5/5-no screaming kids. We have also seen people fishing here, although we haven't tried it yet. We used to come here frequently, not so much now that the kids are older.

This is a fun park to take my 3 kiddos to, they have several swings and although it looks like a…read moresmaller playground, there's lots to do on it! We also walk/ bike around the lake. Shady areas and picnic tables are around as well.

8/2026 Park/Swim Area/Marina…read more We've been here several times now and really enjoy it. The playground structure seems really well maintained and is quite large with several options for kids to choose from. There isn't any trash throughout the area and there are many trash bins provided all throughout the park. The bathrooms are also pretty well maintained and stocked. The only downfall with those is that there are no light fixtures in there; they are strictly natural light. The three main large covered picnic areas/gazebos have plenty of tables and quite a bit of room for gatherings; you can also reserve them. Same goes for the little individual gazebos along the shoreline. Each of those has one picnic table that is covered, with a grill and trash bin close to it. The water is clearly marked throughout the lake and the swimming area is pretty large. The entire lake is a no-wake zone, which is nice when you're kayaking. We have also rented a few kayaks and a pontoon boat from the marina. This is such an amazing option! Each time we have gone there, the guys that help us are incredibly nice as well as patient. They helped load the kayaks into the water and they helped eve

We visited the beach area. The enormous play area was pretty impressive. The entire area…read moreaccommodates large groups and has multiple areas of shelter for gatherings. Restrooms were clean and stocked. Plenty of parking spaces available. It would really awesome if there was some type of concession stand.

Dave's is always helpful in answering my questions and getting me the right parts and service in a…read moretimely manner.

Horrible experience. My small outboard was taken by them with the promise it would be looked at…read morewithin 3-4 weeks. Called at the end of that time frame and was told they were just about to look at it. Another week + went by and called again. This time it was explained that "these small motors don't bring much profit. We've had bigger jobs come in. Maybe we will get to your motor in a couple more weeks". I picked it up the next day. Same condition now as it was 6 weeks ago. Lot's of boating time wasted.

Worst customer experience ever. Had a lower unit replaced. When I asked about the itemized bill,…read morethe owner called me a "cheap bastard" and used some fairly colorful language. When I told him my future business would be elsewhere because of his rudeness and unprofessionalism, he told me I was banned from his store (think of the "You can't fire me...I quit!" mentality). When the new lower unit he installed broke down, he wouldn't honor the warranty. Wouldn't even provide the serial numbers so that manufacturers warranty could be initiated with another shop. When I said I was going to give a poor review, he said "Good! Then I will have fewer pricks like you to deal with!" Sheesh! The owner of Malone Motorsports needs Jesus. I don't know why he treats people so poorly, but he must be a very unhappy man. Seriously, read the other reviews on this business online and save yourself A LOT of heartache and grief by taking your business elsewhere.

Bad experience. Don't waste your time with Gerald and Malone Motorsports…read more He's a jerk, yells at his customers and treated me terrible. Bought a motor and he put the wrong prop on it. Promised to exchange it for the right prop and wouldn't live up to the deal he sold me. Also had a problem when he originally installed the motor. One of my two boat batteries disappeared while in his shop. They charged me for a new replacement battery. Not sure who stole it... just sayin' that's dishonest and bad for business. The older guy at Malone Motorsports who I previously bought a motor from was great to deal with. I understand he retired. Too bad. New management will run this business into the ground before long.

Robert is very competent and friendly. I recommend him highly for motor repair, service and really…read moreanything related to boat maintenance and enjoyment of the sport. He is the kind of guy who loves boats and motors and just likes to help people. Don Charnetski

March 2022 : I call and call. I get a recording every time saying the Shop is open Tuesday through…read moreSaturday from 8:30 to 4:30 and if i would like to leave a message, do so after the beep. Sometimes the mailbox is full and won't take any more messages. Other times it will take messages and when it will, i often leave one. I give my name and call back number yet i never get a response. I do not recommend any business that repeatedly refuses to respond. Why are you in business if you refuse to answer the phone or return a call ? I will go elsewhere for my boat motor repair and will not recommend this so called business to anyone i can tell about it. Talk about being lazy.

One way to get to this Marina from Knoxville Iowa is going Over the Mile Long Bridge and Hanging a…read moreRight....The Lake is Beautiful for Boating, Camping, Siteseeing, PicNicing, and Much More. MY Favorite View for Years and Years is Looking West while crossing the Mile Long Traverse to visit the Lake or Just heading back to Des Moines from my Hometown....

No amenities very little service all you get for a$5800.00 is electric and water and pump out. The…read moreprivate bathrooms and showers are not private for slip owners only. They are open to the public and never clean. They only cater to the rental boaters because they already have our money. Rental boats are always blocking the gas dock. No dock hands there to help tie up when you pull up to the gas dock. No communication from the manger or response to your complaints or issues. We take pride in our boats and safety. We need professional manger and dock hands. Our new manger is a school teacher who knows nothing about working for a marina Warning people that if you are at the lake you are on your own. The manager has been saying that they are going to make all these new improvements for the last 7 years and we are still waiting.

This is one of the greatest areas right at the tip of Saylorville Lake, offering a visitor's…read morecenter, playgrounds, walking and hiking trails, and easy access to the Neal Smith trail. Usually, we park the car over at the visitor center, and walk to wherever we're planning to visit throughout the lake and park area. Our dogs are small and get tired fast, so it's nice to have a centralized area with a lot to do, when they need a break. The visitor center provides access to beverage machines, maps, guides, and rules for the park areas. Off the back of the visitor center is a balcony that overlooks the lake, providing a pretty awesome view through the trees out into the water. Just a short walk northeast from the center is a butterfly garden, which actually lives up to its purpose, and just behind the garden is a heavily wooded area that leads to the beach. There are a ton of benches to sit on along the Neal Smith trail, which leads to more campgrounds, boating, and recreational sites. To the opposite direction is the actual dam, which despite its sometimes foul smell, is a sight to see. You're likely to see a few people fishing off of the dam, or just walking around the many secluded trails to view all parts of the park. Definitely recommend starting your next trip to Saylorville off on this side of the lake.

This is a beautiful camping, fishing, and hiking spot off of Saylorville lake…read more There are plenty of benches and picnic areas to enjoy the scenery and take in the great outdoors!!! There is also great fishing right off of the Dam spillway! With lookout areas if you don't feel like fishing. Beautiful grown trees and winding paths all right outside of Des Moines!!

It has some of the best Candian night crawlers And…read moreeveryone is so nice it is a good business

Lake Thunderhead itself is a wonderful lake but since this was categorized under restaurants I'm…read moreassuming the listing is for the marina, so I'm basing my rating on the marina restaurant. I have to say that I guess a restaurant is better than no restaurant at all but then what good is a restaurant if they are always closed? Numerous times we've been boating up here and they are either closed or closing early. And when they are open, their menu is extremely limited. But I will tell you that the times that I've been able to get a meal here their sandwiches are delicious. I would recommend but don't count on it being your only option - have a back up plan in case they are closed. I would def call first.